What Is the Brexit Debate About?

In June, British voters will decide in a referendum whether or not the country should remain in the European Union. The so-called "Brexit" has become a divisive issue in the country, and polls show the "for" and "against" groups are nearly equal. Those who want to leave the EU say it would boost the British economy by not having to adhere to economic, labor, and environmental regulations. Proponents of remaining "in," including British Prime Minister David Cameron, say the exact opposite -- that the U.K. would be forced to negotiate trade terms with E.U. member states and its economy would suffer.

As explained in this video from Bloomberg, immigration is the other key factor in the debate. Advocates of leaving the E.U. say it would curb the massive influx of migrants into the country, which, they say, are putting a strain on the economy and state services. It's hard to predict what would happen, given such a move has never occurred in the history of the E.U.

Top photo: Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron holds a Q&A session on the forthcoming European Union referendum with staff of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Birmingham, Britain. (Reuters / Christopher Furlong)